ATLANTA Hawks leaned on Jalen Johnson’s career game to score a 132-122 victory over Utah Jazz in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on Thursday night (Friday in the Philippines) at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Johnson finished with career-highs of 31 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, and seven steals while also tying his career best of four triples in a game as the Hawks improved to an 8-5 win-loss slate.
Onyeka Okongwu, who started in place of injured Kristapz Porzingis, led the Hawks with a double-double of 32 points and 11 rebounds along with three blocks, two assists, and two steals to lead the Hawks.
Vit Krejci also made his presence felt offensively with 20 markers off the bench, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, and Zachary Risacher ended with 16, 12, and 11, respectively.
Lauri Markkanen paced the Jazz with 40 points, rookie Ace Bailey, Keyonte George, and Isaiah Collier added 21, 12, and 10 markers, respectively, while Jusuf Nurkic had a near triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists, along with five steals and a block.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Suns (8-5) stretched their winning streak to five games following a lopsided 133-98 victory over Indiana Pacers (1-11) at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks served as Phoenix’s 1-2 punch with 33 and 32 points, respectively, while Oso Ighodaro and Grayson Allen chipped in 17 and 12 points, respectively.
Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 21 points and nine assists, Paskal Siakam contributed 19 markers, while Tony Bradley and Aaron Nesmith ended with 10 apiece.
Also, Toronto Raptors (7-5) pulled off a huge 126-113 upset victory over Cleveland Cavaliers (8-5), which suffered the defeat even with the return of stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and five blocks, Immanuel Quickley added 25 markers, while Jacob Poeltl ended with 20 points in the win./PN
